Our Borneo tours are Sabah, located on Borneo, the world's largest island. With a total area of some 76 000 square km., Borneo is the second largest state in Malaysia.
Sabah is known as the "Land Below The Wind" because it lies just below the typhoon belt. One of its best known attractions is Mt. Kinabalu, at 4,095 metres, but Sabah offers much more than just one mountain. It has a wide diversity of flora and fauna, as well as one of the world's largest rainforests. Sabah's has more than 30 indigenous tribes, including the Kadazans, Muruts, Bajaus, Kedayans, Sulu, Bisaya, Rumanau, Minokok, and Rungus, speaking over 80 different dialects.
As a British protectorate, British North Borneo as it was known, was controlled by the Japanese from 1941 to 1946. In 1963, it became part of the the Malaysian federation along with Malaya, Singapore and Sarawak. Since 1963, the state has been known as Sabah.
International access to Malaysia'a eastern gateway is Sabah's state capital, Kota Kinabalu, formerly known as Jesselton, which is serviced by regular flights. KK as it is known, is quite new, as the original town was destroyed during world War II.
The main attractions in Sabah could be said to centre around nature and the diversity of wildlife and vegetation. It has outstanding national parks, which include Kinabalu National Park, the Crocker Range Park, and the Sepilok Orang-utan Sanctuary. Sabah also offers some of the world's best diving. However, Sabah possesses a number of other attractions as well, all of which are worth exploring.
Over the whole island of Borneo, Proboscis Monkeys can be found in localised areas - one of the best places to see them is in Sabah in the Sukau region on the Kinabatangan River.
The Mt Kinabalu summit trek is very popular. Mt Kinabalu at 4,095 metres, is the highest mountain in South East Asia (excluding New Guinea) and is rated as the 20th highest mountain in the world. The trek from the Park Headquarters to the summit and back takes two days, and an overnight stop at Laban Rata is included. On the second morning, drag yourself out of bed at 2am to summit in time for sunrise - it's well worth it! On a clear day you can see the Philippines in the North.
The trek up the mountain winds its way through five altitude and temperature related zones. The vegetation varies from tropical to oaks and conifers, through to sub alpine. At the summit, only small herbs and stunted shrubs are able to survive - the temperature at the summit can be in the vicinity of freezing at various times of the year. You may see the famous pitcher plant during your trek - the flower of this plant is filled with a sticky liquid that attracts insects. Once inside the 'pitcher', the flies cannot escape.
We have adventures in Borneo for all levels of fitness - you don't need to be an athlete to enjoy the activities offered by this stunning country. Check it out!
